Apparatus for manufacturing tie plates



May 14;, 1935. J. F. w. KRUSE El AL 2,001,578

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TIE PLATES Filed Oct. 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. JOHN F. w. KRUSE, CHHRLES wmwsou, BY ANDREW rklclmkason.

AT oRNEYg J F. w. KRUSE' ET AL May 14, 1935.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TIE PLATES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 3, 1953 I I I I I I I I I I I I l I I al aa I- June 6, 1933.

Patented May 14, 1935 PATENT FFIiCE APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURINGr TIE PLATES John F. W. Kruse and Charles wpDawson, Oakmont, and Andrew T. Richardson, Verona, Pa.

assignors to Woodings-Verona Tool 'Works, Verona, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 2, 1923, Serial No. 691,968

ll'Claims.

Our invention relates to apparatus for and method of forming tie plates for rails, such, for example,'as certain of the forms shown and described in Woodings Patent No. 1,912,679, dated Prior to our invention the forming of tie plates having locking members integral therewith for engaging the upper surfaces of the base of a rail has required'a comparatively large number'of operations. For example, it has required one operation to divide a bar into proper lengths for tie plates. Another operation was required for punching holes for spikes, and a separate operation was required for forming each" of the locking members by undercutting each of two flanges extending longitudinally of the plate and constituting shoulders for the base of a rail seated on the tie plate. It will be-appreciated that'the necessity for a number of individual operations very materially increases the cost of. production of articles of this kind because of the additional cost of time and labor.

In accordance with the present invention we form tie plates of the character described above in a single continuous operation which comprises punching holes for spikes in the outer edges of the tie plates, cutting a tie-plate length from a bar of suitably rolled material, and then shearing opposite ends of spaced parallel flanges to constitute locking members for rails placed upon the tie plates. The mechanism by means of which this operation is performed consists generally in a punch press which operates punches for punching the holes for fastening the tie plates to ties, a shear for cutting the stock into suitable lengths'for tie plates, and shears that operate to cut the spaced ribs for a portion of their lengths and at opposite ends thereof whereby the severed portions which remain integral with the tie plate may be bent over the base of the rail to lock the latter in position on the tie plates.

The details of our invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a press that is provided with apparatus for practicing the method of our invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a completed tie plate with the locking members bent out of alignment with the ribs of which they were formerly an integral part; Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section of a tie plate with a rail in position thereon Fig. l is a perspective View of one of the movable shear members for cutting the locking members from the ribs of the plate; Fig.5 is a top plan view of the mechanism for forming the locking "known types, such as a Bliss press.

members; Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is a reduced view in rear elevation of certain of the operating mechanism ofthe press of Fig. 1; and Fig. 8 is a reduced end view of the apparatus of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus of nected, as by a belt 5, to a larger pulley l which is connected by a shaft 8 to a pinion 9. The latter drives a gear 5 l rotatably mounted on a crank shaft l2 and to which it is adapted to be connected by means of a clutch It, the operation of which is controlled by a foot pedal l4 connected thereto by a link l5 and a pivoted lever IS. The crank shaft I2 when rotated by the driving mechanism operates a connecting rod IT for reciprocating a cross-head l8 mounted in guideways Id. The cross-head i8 is connected to and adjustably spaced from a punch holder 20 by means of a screw 2! and an adjusting collar 22 thereon. 1

The punch holder Figs. 6, '7 and 8, carries four punches 24 that correspond in number and spacing to the apertures 25 of Fig. 5. The-punch holder 29 also carries a vertical shear member 25 which cooperates with a stationary shear member 21, Fig. 8, and two vertically disposed cams 28 and 29 having inclined surfaces 39 and 3! for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Mounted upon the lower and solid portion of the press is adie shoe 33 carrying four dies 34 for cooperating respectively with the punches 24. The die shoe 33 is provided on its upper surface with transverse grooves 35 for receiving the lower ends of vertical flanges 36 of a block 31.

As best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the block 31 is recessed at the central portion of its lower side to permit the insertion of a blank which may be, for example, the end of a suitably rolled bar having a flat bottom portion and two parallel upwardly projecting flanges or ribs 38 that are spaced to provide shoulders for the outer edges of the base of a rail when seated thereon. The tie plate 38 of Figs. 2 and 3 and the dot-and-dash lines of Fig. 6 illustrate the section of the bar.

The block 3'! is'provided with two pairs of guideways 40 within which are mounted for horizontal movement two movable shear members 4] and 42 that are identical in shape but are mountcam surfaces 30 and 3| of the cams 28 and 29,

respectively.

Mounted adjacent the outer sides of the ribs or flanges 38 of the tie plate are stationary horizontal shear members 5| and 52 that are secured to the block 31. The movable shear members 4| and 42 are each normally retained in their in nermost positions by means of a spring 53.

In the operation of the apparatus of our invention it may be assumed that bars of steel having a cross section approximately that shown in dotand-dash lines in Fig. 6, or cor-responding to that of the tie plate of Fig. 2 before the locking members have been formed, is inserted above the die shoe in substantially the position indicated. The extent to which the bar is inserted in the, press is fixed by a stop member such, for example as the rod 54, Fig. 1, having a pivotal support at and controlled by a link 56 secured to the foot pedal M. This stop mechanism is shown byway of example only and any other suitablearrangement may be employed to-insure that the tie plates are of desired length.

-When the bar is in position the pedal I4 is de- 1 pressed by the operator'to cause the clutch 3 to connect the gear to the crank shaft l2 whereupon the press will operate through one revolution of the crank shaft l2 to cause the punch holder 20 to descend, whereupon the punches 24 pass through the apertures 25 and punch holes 51 in the end of the bar constituting the blank for the tie plate. As the punch holder 28 descends further the vertical shear member 26 cuts a length from the bar suitable for a tie plate, the punches 24 remaining in the holes 51 during this operation. V

Further downward movement of the punch holder causes the cams 28 and 29 to engage the cam surfaces 46 and 41 and to actuatethe movable shear members 4| and 42 outwardly in opposite directions against the forces of the springs 53 to shear the upper portion of each of the ribs 38 from the portions of the ribs therebeneath to provide a cut in each rib. shown at 59 in Fig. 2, that extends for a portion of its length and that is parallel to theupper surface of the tie plate 3'19. Since the cutting edges of the movable shear members 4| and 42 are at an angle to the path of movement of these members in accordance with the usual practice, the outer ends of the, severed portions of the ribs are bent outwardly as best shown in Fig. 2; The severed portions constitute locking members 63. The inner ends of the several horizontal shear members are suitably curved to avoid abrupt bends at the inner ends of the cuts 58. I

When the shearing operation has been completed; the punch holderZU returns upward to permit the movable shear members 4| and 42 to be returned to their innermost positions by the respective springs 53, and the shear member 26 and the punches 24 are withdrawnupwardly by-the punch holder 20 to their inoperative positions. The completed tie plate 39 which is now in substantially the form shown in Fig. 2 is thenremoved and the bar is advanced against the stop 54 for a succeeding operation which may be substantially identical in all respect to that described above.

While the operation has beendescribed in connection with a bar of steel of desired crosssection which may be i sheared into suitable lengths for tie plates as a part of the forming op-' press with a vertical shear for determining the length of the tie plates.

As shown and described inpatent' No. .1;9l2,679, referred to above, and as illustrated in'EFig. 3, a

rail 62 may be seated on thetie plate 39 with the base between the shoulders or flanges 38 and may be secured in position thereon by suitably bending the locking members 6!! overthe i'nclined upper surfacefof the base of the rail optionally in engagement therewith -or suitably spaced therefrom to provide relative vertical movement therebetween in accordance with-the practice that is desired. It will be appreciated that by means of'the apparatus described above'and in practicing the methodthat has been outlined a comparatively large number of operations, that have required separate apparatus and .the handling of the tie plates between several machines have been combined into a single continuous operation for forming'flnished tie plates from bars. constitut ing stock therefor. i

We claim: I 1. Apparatus for forming'tie plates from a member having two spaced parallel flanges for constituting shoulders for a. rail base, comprising a support for said member, shears disposed above saidsupport adjacent the sides ofsaid flanges for a portion of-their length; and means for moving the shears transversely 'of the flanges for making a cut in each of said flanges for a portion of its. length and parallel to the adjacent side of said member, whereby a portion of each flangeis formed as a tongue-like locking member adapted to be bent over a base flange of a rail disposed on the tie plate.

2. Apparatus for forming tie plates from a member having two spaced parallel flanges'for constituting shoulders for 'a rail base, comprising a support for said member, shears disposed above said'support adjacent the sides of said flanges for a portion of their length butat opposite endsthereof, and means for moving the shears transverselyof the flanges for making I a cut in each "of. said flanges but at opposite ends thereof fora portion of its lengthand parallel to the adjacent side of said member, whereby -a portion of each flange is formed as a tongue- I neously moving the shears transversely of the flanges for making a cut in each of said flanges simultaneously but at opposite ends thereof for a portion of its lengthand parallel to the adjacent side of said member, whereby a portion of each flange is formed as a tongue-like locking member adapted to be bent over a base flange of a rail disposed on the tie plate.

4. Apparatus for forming tie plates for rails comprising a support for a bar having spaced longitudinal flanges, means for cutting said bar into tie-plate lengths, shears disposed above said support adjacent the sides of said flanges for a portion of their length, and means for moving the shears transversely ofthe flanges for cutting each of said flanges parallel to the plate for a portion of its length and simultaneously bending the thus severed portion out of alignment with the remaining portion, whereby a portion of each flange is formed as a tongue-like looking member adapted to be bent over a base flange of a rail disposed on the tie plate.

5. Apparatus for forming tie plates for rails with a single continuous operation comprising punches for providing holes for spikes in a bar having spaced longitudinal flanges and adapted to form tie plates, means for cutting a tie-plate length from said bar, and means for cutting each of said flanges parallel to the plate and for a portion of its length.

6. Apparatus for forming tie plates from blanks having two spaced parallel ribs on one side thereof comprising shears disposed respectively at opposite ends of said ribs, each of said shears comprising a stationary member on the outer side of the adjacent rib and a cooperating movable member on the inner side of the rib, and means for actuating the movable shear members simultaneously outwardly in opposite directions to provide a cut in each of said ribs for a portion of its length and parallel to the adjacent side of the plate.

'7. Apparatus for forming tie plates from blanks having two spaced parallel ribs on one side thereof comprising shears disposed respectively at opposite ends of said ribs, each of said shears comprising a stationary member on the outer side of the adjacent rib and a cooperating movable member on the inner side of the rib, and means for actuating the movable shear members simultaneously outwardly in opposite directions to provide a cut in each of said ribs fora portion of its length and parallel to the adjacent side of the plate, the actuating means comprising cam surfaces movable approximately at right angles to the directions of movement of said movable shear members.

8. Apparatus for forming tie plates from blanks having two spaced parallel ribs on one side thereof comprising shears disposed respectively at opposite ends of said ribs, each of said shears comprising a stationary member on the outer side of the adjacent rib and a cooperating movable member on the inner side of the rib, means for actuating the movable shear members simultaneously outwardly in opposite directions toprovide a cut in each of said ribs for a portion of its length and parallel to the adjacent side of the plate, and spring means for returning said movable shear members to their initial positions.

9. Apparatus for forming tie plates from blanks having two spaced parallel ribs on one,

side thereof comprising shears disposed respectively at opposite ends of said ribs, each of said shears comprising a stationary member on the outer side of the adjacent rib and a cooperating movable member on the inner side of the rib, each of said movable members being slidably mounted for movement outwardly parallel to the side of the plate and having an inclined surface, ancl a cam surface movable approximately at right angles to the paths of movement of said movable members for cooperating with each of said inclined surfaces for actuating said movable members simultaneously outwardly to provide each of said ribs with a longitudinal cut at an intermediate depth.

10. Apparatus for forming tie plates from blanks having two spaced ribs on one side thereof comprising a die shoe for supporting a blank and having dies therein, a punch holder carrying punches for cooperating with said dies for making holes in said blanks, a block above said die shoe having recessed portions for receiving a blank therein and having apertures for permitting said punches to pass to said dies, two shears carried by said block for cutting each of said ribs longitudinally for a portion of its length, each of said shears comprising cooperating movable and stationary members on opposite sides of a rib, cams carried by said punch holder for actuating the movable shear members simultaneously in opposite directions to shear said ribs, and means for actuating said punch holder.

11. Apparatus for forming tie plates from blanks having two spaced ribs on one side thereof comprising a die shoe for supporting a blank and having dies therein, a punch holder carrying punches for cooperating with said dies for making holes in said blanks, a block above said die shoe having recessed portions for receiving a blank therein and having apertures for permitting said punches to pass to said dies, two shears carried by said block for cutting each of said ribs longitudinally for a portion of its length, each of said shears comprising cooperating movable and stationary members on opposite sides of a rib, cams carried by said punch holder for actuating the movable shear members simultaneously in opposite directions to shear said ribs, springs for returning said movable shear members to their initial positions, and a press for actuating said punch holder.

JOHN F. W. KRUSE. CHARLES W. DAWSON. ANDREW T. RICHARDSON. 

